peters



@eine tstrs datent @fitta JOSHUA G. ALLEN, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters .Patent No. 63,452, dated April 2, 1867.

IMPROVED SPIRIT METER;

Be it known that I, JOSHUA Gr. ALLEN, M. D., ofthe city of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Machine or Spirit Meter for the purpose of ascertaining and registering the exact amount and the strength or proof ofthe spirits owing from the still, and for the purpose of separating' the high from the low wines at any stage ofthe distillation that may be desired; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference hcing had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which.-

Figure 1 is a front view.

Figure 2 is an end view.

Figure 3 is a plan.

Figure 4 is a sectional view.

Figure 5 is au end view of one detached hydrometer chamber with its stop-cock and cams.

These are views of the machine when constructed for registering temperature, specific gravity, and volume of the spirits passing through it.

Figure 6 is a front view.

Figure 7 is a. sectional view.

Figure 8 is a back view; and

Figure 9 is a plan.

These are views specially exhibiting the modifications of the machine when it is constructed for registering weight in addition to specific gravity, temperature, and volume, as above.

A, pipe leading from still to first meter.

B, branch pipe leading to a second meter.

C, three-Way cock.

D, pipe passing under hydrometer chambers and from three-way cock to cistern.

' E, pulley-wheel on which Weight is wound.

F, pipe leading from pipe I) on to cistern.

Gr, loat chamber.

H, hydrometer chambers. i

I, glass tubular portion of hydrorneter'charnbers.

K, screw-bolts for fastening and securing glass tubes and metallic caps.

L', escaperuent lever.

M, upper arm of es'capeinent lever.

N, lower :nim of esoapement lever.

O, hole or perforation in lower arm of escapernent lever, through which Heat-pan rod passes.

P, button or-knob on float-pan rod.

Q, heat-pan rod.

R, iioat pan.

S, escapement wheel.

T, lower tooth or pawl of eseapement lever.

U, upper tooth or pawl of escapemeut lever.

V, hydrometer in hydrometer chamber. v

W, arms attached to hydrorneter-chamber cocks, operated ou by coin-wheels.

X,.1netallic caps or disks, forming tops and bottoms of hydrorneter chambers.

Y, cams that open hydrometer-chamber cocks.

Z, cams that shut hydrometcnchaniher cooks.

a, cog-Wheel on same axle as Canis that open hydrometer-chainber cocks.

Z, cog-.wheel turned by cog-wheel a'.

c, cog-)vlleel with interrupted spaces on same axle as cog-wheel b.

fi, cog-wheel with interrupted spaces on same axle as cogwheel a.

i., cog-wheel attached to three-Way cock, acted on alternately by cogs a and Zi f, air hole in top of hydrometcr chamber. v

L;r,l;ievelg ,fear cog onlower end of perpendicular axle, acting on bevel gear z, bevel-gear cog on axle'ot` cams that shut hydrometer-chamber cocks.

t', bevel-gear cog on axle turned by the weight.

lc, bevel-gear cogr on perpendicular axle conveying motion to bevel-gear cog t and cams Z.

Z, cog on axle of cam z, turning cog m,- and axle n, and the cams Y.

m, cogon axle of cams Y, turned by cog Z.

n, axle of cams Y and cog m, turned by cog Z.

o, axle .of cam Z, and 'cogs a and @land Z.

1o, axle of cogs and e, turned by cog-wheela on axle 0.

g, discharge pipe through which cistern is emptied.

r and s, stop-cocks forrregulating which cistern shall be receiving spiritsfrom still.

r is in pipe leadingto first eistern and meter, and

s is in branch pipe leading to second cistern and meter. A

t, Weight acting as motive-power.

u, axle or shaft on which the pulley-Wheel of Weight is placed.

i), hydrometer-chamber cocks.

w, weighing board or scale board on which eistern is placed.

as. perpendicular rod forced up when cistern descends.

y, triangular projection or ange on rod X.

z, triangular projection or iiangeon float-pan rod Q.

G', iloat chamber when constructed as an-apartment-of cistern.

S', escapement-wheel or ratchetfwhcel, on its side.

L', escapernent lever when placed on its side or working horizontally.'

T' and-U', teeth or pawls ot' escapement lever, when placed on its side.

F', flexible portion of pipe leading from pipe D to cistern.

H', cistern on scale boardfA K', weight on scale board. l

M', lever which raises perpendicular rod X.

N", axle of bevel-gear eogsk and g.

The motive power for operating the machine in these drawings is represented as a weight, which, will probably be found practically the most convenient.

rlhe nature of my invention consists of an instrument, or machine, or meter, to be connected, by means of a pipe or pipes,-with a reservoir or eistern, of any convenient size, in which the product of the still is contained 'while being measured. Thisrmachine or meter has a threeway cock orvalVe, through which the product of the stillmust lov -both in passing into and tilling the cistern and meter, and also in passing outof and emptying them. This three-way cock or valve is turned so as to let the spirits into and out of the cistern, at the, proper moment, and is regulated, in connection with other stop-cocks or valves pertaining to other partseoi' the meter, by means of appropriate machinery to be presently described In order to avoid the corrosive effects of the acetic and other corrosive acids always present in the product ofthe still during the process of distilling alcoholic or vinous liquors, thevarious stop-cocks or valves herein used and described are to be made of glass, hard or vulcanized rubber, gold, silver, platinum, aluminum, or similar non-corrosive metals, or of substances coated over or plated with non-corrosive metals.

There is also a series oi' graduated glass tubes, ot any convenient numberand length, so arranged and connected with the eistern as te be iilled with the liquid passing from the still to the cistern, to the same level or height as that at which the liquid at any given time rises or stands in the cistern, thus at all times showing the exact depth ofy liquid in the eistern. Each glass tube contains a hydrometer, thus showing the exact strength or proof of the spirits in the cistern. Each glass tube is furhished with an ordinary stop-cock or valve so arranged, turned, andworked by appropriate machinery, as to shut oil` and retain for inspection and examination the liquid which has passed into the tube with which the cock thus .turned is connected.

These glass tubes I shall hereafter describe and allude to as hydremeter chambers. The stop-cocks of this series of hydrometer chambers are arranged by appropriate machinery so-as to be closed successively, one after the other, one being closed each-time the cistern becomes full; and this closing of the hydroineterchamber cock or valve is arranged to occur just at the momentthe three-way cock or valve is turned into such position as to empty the cistern. By this means one hydrometer chamber is kept reserved and retained filled to the same level as that at which the spirits stood in the cistern at the moment of its beginning to be emptied,` and'it being a. graduated tube it can be ascertained in a moment the number of inches in depth that either are or have been in the cistern; whence its contents are exactly known. Asv each hydrometer chamber contains .a hydrometer, the exact strength or proof' likewise becomes known. We have thus both the quantity and proof. registered, and thel registry and contents of each hydrometer chamber may be retained any necessary length of time for repeated inspection. v New just at the moment theV ei'stern is emptied, the machinery attached again changes the three-way cock or valve into such a position as will aller the cistern and meter to be refilled, and when full, as before, by the same process again'shuts oil` and reserves another hydrometer chamber as ful? of spirits as the cistern has again been iilled, and so on. i

From ten to forty or even a greater number of hydrometer chambers may be thus successively filled,-

.indicating alike number of cisterns full otl spirits. Thesehydrometer chambers are constructed by pressing the ends of the glass tubes, previously nicely cut and ground smooth, firmly upon elastic vulcanized rubber' disks or washers, fitted at each end and surmounted with metallic plates, iirmly held together and in position by means of rods or screw-bolts of'sufiicient length. A small air-hole is left in the top cap and disk, and the bottom cap and disk is perforated with a hole su'oiently large to let the spirits pass freely in and out ot' the hydrometer chamber, which is thus formed A,by theglass tubes, caps, disks, and screw-bolts,just described. The hole in the lower or vbottom end of the hydrometer chamber is connected with theI stop-cock o, and the stop-cock v with the pipe D, connecting with the cistern II', and with the three-way valve.

In order to call the motive power into operation at the proper moment, so as to move the various parts of the machinery as herein indicated, there is, in addition to thc three-way cock and the hydromcter chambers with their cocks already described, an upright tube or tubular vessel, ir, its bottom extending slightly below the bottom ot' the cistern and hydronieter chambers, and being at least equal to them in height. This we shall call a float chamber G. It is in direet connection, by means of pipes D, with the cistern and hydromoter chambers H, and the three-way cock or valve C is attached to it lclose to its bottom, which must beslightl f below the level ofthe bottom ofthe cistern, so that when the three-way valve is open the whole apparatus may be completely emptied, except, of course, those hydrorneter chambers in which the liquid is intentionally retained for examination.

Fitting and moving loosely in this iloat chamber there is an empty water-tight pan, R, or vessel, or lion-t, which it is evident will be raised, floated, or buoyed up in the oat chamber G, as the whole gradually iills with spirits. l This we shall calla float or iloat pan. straight rod projects from the top of thislloat or float pan, making it much resemble a piston tting looselyy in the float chamber. This rod Q passes through a hole, which acts as a guide in the top or corner of the iioat chamber, and has a button, P, or knob, on the upper' lend, so as to answer designs presently to be described.

All the valves c or stop-cocks of the hydrometcr chambers are turned and regulated by a system of camwheels Y and Z, a well-known and familiar mechanical arrangement. The cam-wheels are in this drawing connected by a well--known cog-wheel bevel-gear movement, (many forms of which might be devised, all answering the same`end,) with an escapement wheel, S, which holds the whole maehiner i quiescent, by means ol' the teeth or pawls of an escapement-lever, L, which catch alternately in the escapement-wheel almost exact-ly like the action ofthe well-known escapement movement of watches and clocks.

These teeth or pawlswhichthus regulate and control the motion of the escapement-wheel and attached maehinermare on the short end of a lever; the other, or long end of the lever, is biturcated or divided into two arms, and is ma'de to come exactly o ver the centre of the float chamber, one arm above the other. The lower arm o'f the long end of the lever is perforated, O, so as to allow the stem or projecting rod of the ioat pan to passthrough it.

Now it is evident by referring to the drawing that as the liquid 'from the still enters through the pipe A, and three-way valve G, the cistern, hydrometer chambers, and float chamber will be filled, and the float pan in the lloat chamber-will be raised or floated up so that the button or knob P, on the upper end otl the projecting rod Q, will come to impinge on the upper arm of the long end of the escapement-lcver so as to lift it up and release the escapement-whcel from the pawl 4attached to the upper end of the lever, as seen in lig. d. Immediately in obedience to the impulse of the attached weight, the escapenicnt-wheel and all connected machinery will turn; but, in lifting the long arm of the escapement-lever, the lower pawl is lifted also, and the ratchet is quickly caught on this lower tooth or pawl, and thus its motion is stopped and regulated exactly after the manner ofthe escapementmovement in clocks `and watches; but the cscapcmcnt-wheel is allowed to nieve far enough, before being thus stopped, to turn the attached machinery into such position as to close .the-

cock of and thus retain the spirits in one liydrometer chamber. Simultaneously with thus closing of one hydrometer-chamber cock, the three-way cock or valve is turned and changed so as to allow the cistern to empty,land to stop further flow of liquid into either meter or cistcrn from the still. i

The machinery is now quiescent till the cistcrn is emptied, when it is evident that the float pan will fall in the float chamber until the knob on the upper end of its rod comes to inxpinge on the lower arm of the long endot` the level', thus bringing the weight of the loat pan to operate so as to draw down the long end ot' the' lever, till the pawl or tooth attached to it slips down-and allows the esenpement-wheel to turn till caught in the other pawl or tooth ofthe short arm; but during this turn ofthe machinery the three-way valve is also changed so as to allow the `eist-ern to fill again, and so on till all the hydrometer chnmbersnre filled. By means ot' the shape and position of the cams which turn and regulate the liydroineter-chamber valves, at the moment of the filling ofthe last hydrometer chamber of the series the cocks of one, two, or three, or any convenient number of the hydrometer chambers first lled, may be turned so as to empty them, ready for refilling. The instrument will then only need occasional winding up of the weight, for as the machine goes on its regular round,

`one of those hydrometer chambers longest since filled will be emptied, and so on in succession, :is the series begins to refill. v

By this means each hydrometer chamber can be kept illed many days for examination by different inspectors and detectives, as a checkupon each other. The meter -is to be kept under lock and seal and examinedthrough a glass Window. Even if surreptitiously opened, it cannot be safely tampercdwith, as it must either go its regular round or be broken.

It will be noticed that when the three-way cock or valve is turned into such position as to empty the cistern, the ow from the still will be stopped. In order to prevent the spirits being, at this..time, dammed back `into the worm and still, another reservoir or cistern of small size is provided, which may be simply an enlargement of the pipe leading from the worm to the threelway valve, and ,mercly'oi` suflicient capacity to contain the product of the still during the few minutes the spirits are riinning outof the cistcrn. With this provision the arrangements are complete.

New, in order to separate thehigh from the low Wines, it is onlyinecessary to have an ordinary stop-cock, r, fixed at any convenient position in the pipejleading from the smallrcservoii` to the three-way valve C, and a branch pipe, B, leading off `just above this stop-cock, and between it and the still. This branchpipe leads off to another' and second meter and cistern, identical with the first in construction and working. This branch pipe leading to the second meter,` has 'also an `ordinary stop-cock a short distance below its junction' with the main pipe from the still.- While the high wines are passing over, one can bc left open and the other shut, thus allowing them to pass into whichever cistern the owner may elect. When the low wines begin to ilow, which may be known by watching the meter, the cocks can be reversed, thus turning them into the other cistern. 'lhese cocks are under the control of the owner of vthe sit-ill, and thus as many divisions may be made as he may desire. v

Concerning the mechanical movements of the meter', it is only necessary to point out that the cscapementwheel is turned by arwcight, t, which communicates its motion, by means-of the bevel-gear cogs z' k g r, to the axle o, on which one set of cams, which act upon the hydrometer-chamber cocks, so as to shut them, is placed. This axle'or shaft, by means of a plain cog-wheel connection, turns the axle a of another set of cams, ,1, which act on the hydrometer-chamber cocks, so as to open them. Another cog-wheel, CZ, is placed upon the axle o, first mentioned; this has a portion of its cogs missed or cut out, so as to act interruptedly upon-the cog-wheel which turns the three-way cock or valve C. A third cog-wheel, a, is on the same axle, 0, which turns another cogwhcel, b, ofthe same size on the axlcp; this anxlejo has on it another cog-wheel, c, exactly like the cog-wheel d, having similar interrupted spaces. These cog-wheels c and d, with interrupted spaces, turn in opposite directions, and act at interrupted intervals upon the cog-Wheel c attached to the threewuy cock C, opening and shutting it at the proper moment, so as iirst to lill the cistern, and then to empty i-t. The turning of the hydrometer-chamber cocks may be changed, regulated, and varied indefinitely, and almost infinitely, according to thc shape and position ofthe cams Y and Z. The action of the lioat upon the lever and its pawls or teeth, `and its connection with the ratchet, have been already suliiciently explained.

In cases where extreme accuracy is demanded or desired, so that the actual weight of all liquid flowing from the still is required, inaddition to its volume and specific gravity, the instrument should be constructed 'and modiied in thc following manner, figs. 6, 7, 8, and t). The iloat chamber should be placed within thc cistern, or made to become simply a compartment thereof, and freely communicating therewith by means of numerous passages or openings, through which the liquid occupying the cisternl may pass in and out of the icat chamber, or float-chamber compartment G.. The three-way'valve is made in direct-connection :with the pipe passing beneath and communicating with the hydrometer chambers without passing through the floatA chamber as before, but the cistern is connected with the other end ofthe pipe passing beneath `the hydrometer chambers just as before; but instead of being placed indiiferently as regards its direction from or proximity to the meter, as was possible before, the side or portion of the cistern, in which is placed the ioat chamber, is brought to occupy nearly the position which would have been convenient, suitable, o1' necessary for the float chamber to occupy when the meter was constructed as previously described, and the whole cistern mustbch/ seated upon and in this position 'immovably fastened to one end of a sort ot' scale-board or scale-beam, resting" and working upon a pivot or hinge, so as to admit of a weight being pla-eed, suspended, or used on the other end in order to weigh or balance it.

Now in the portion of the cistern used as a. loat chamber, or rather formed into a float chamber, a float pan is placed as before; but the rod connected with this float pan is only allowed to act upon the escapementlever when it descends, and not also when it aseends, as before described in iig. 4. Now while` the cistern is empty, or while filling, until it reaches in weightv the amountdesigned for it to contain, which is regulated by the weight K upon the other end of the scale-board or steel-yard, the cistern will Vbe raised orkept up,.but'as soon as the cistern is lled so as to balance the weight K on the opposite end, it will first come level and next quickly descend. I desire especially to point ont that it will quickly descend, and not vibrate irregularly,` and the following is the reason: It will be observed that so long as the cistern is lighter than the weight, the cistern will be kept in such a position that. it will lean towards the weight g the liquid in the cistern will thus be deeper ou the side ofthe cistern towards the weight than on the other side of the cistern, but as soon as the amount equal to the weight flows into the cistern its tendency will be to depart from its leaning position and become level. But the instant the scale or balance-beam on which the vcistern is placed begins to approach a level, the depthand amount of liquid on the side of the cisternfr'om the weight rapidly increase, and this adds greatly to the leverage on the cistern end of the balance-beain, and causes a steady, certain, and rapid descent of the cistern; and the further it descends the greater this leverage becomes, because the slant or lean of the cistern is reversed, andthe liquid in it constantlygrows deeper and heavier oh the' end of the scale-board from thc weight, and adds to its force in that direction and causes a more and more certain and rapid descent. New as the cistern thus descends it is made to act upon and force upward a perpendicular rod, as, almost exactly resembling the rod projecting from the float pan. This rod stands 'perpendicularly upon one end of a lever to which it is fastened by a hinge ljoint, and is raised or forced up in consequence of the cistern in its descent striking against and forcing dbwn the opposite end of 'the lever M upon which this rod thus stands; this is very clearly illust-rated in the drawing, fig. 7. l i

It will thus be easily perceived that the rod of the iloat pan can be used precisely as before described to pull down the escapement-lever as the cistern empties, and thus allow the machinery and valves to turn so as to rcll it, and that when full, or containing the number of pounds intended, the descent of the cistern will quickly force up the other perpendicular rod so las to raise the escapement-l'ever just as the float-pan rod raised it before, and again turn and regulate the machinery and valves so that the cistern will empty and retain a specimen in the hydrometer chambers for examination. If it is found desirable, the campement-lever can be moved from side to side, or laterally, instead ot', as heretofore described, only up and down or perpcndieularly. ln this case the escapement-wheel, upon which the eseapen1eut-lever acts, must be placed upon its side or horizontally. lt 'will do it' placed upon tlie perpendicular axle or shal't N', connecting the bevel-gear wheels and lo, and used for conveying the inoti'or from the horizontal axle or shaft upon which the weight is wound to tbc axle or shaft upon which the cam-wheels for turning the hydronieter-chamber cocks are placed. The lever is then moved from side to side by the following device: Upon the upper end of' the rod projecting from the loat pan a triangular-shaped projection, z, is placed, one ol" its straightV sides being fastened securely to the edge of the projecting rod, the apex or most acute angle being placed dirctly downward and its base o1" broader part upward; the free edge ot' this projection or flange thus slants upward and oli' from the rod. This can easily but only bc understood by referring to the drawing. The eecapenient-lcver is placed in suclrposition 'that as the float pan descends, this projecting edge will push the lever to one side. Nearly facing or opposite this float-pan rod the other perpendicular rod x, before spoken of as being forced up as the cistern descends, is placed, and ata proper position on itis fastened a. lange or triangular projection, g/, exactly like that on the float-pan rod, except that it slants in an opposite direction, namely, downward and oil' from the rod. Thus the cscapement-lever is pushed oli` from this perpendicular rod when it nseends, and, as w'll be readily comprehended by referring to the drawing, the escapeinent-levcr is thus pushed to and fro from side -to side, giving it a. lateral motion, instead ot' a perpendicular motion before, incne direction as the cistern is emptied, and the other as it tills. This lateral motion is only suggested, because it is possible that an eseapement-lcvcr, working perpendicnlarly, might be found more likely to slip from its position than a lateral motion.

The plan giving the absolute weight has the o'nly advantage that weight is in all cases rather more reliable than measure; but its disadvantages are that the cistern must be in close proximity tothe meter-in fact a part of it-and the whole must be kept locked up, and therc is a temptation and possibility to enter suri'eptitiously and load the ale, and thus defraud. rlhe advantage of the specic gravity and volume meter is that.4 only the' meter need 'be locked up. There is never any necessity to open it except t'orfrepnirs, which are not likelyto be needed it' Vwell made. rlhere is no temptation to open it, as the meter can only be altered by breaking it and endangering, nay, insuring, detection.

The cistern can be a tightly-enclosed vessel (except an air-hole, a line in diameter, too small to taniper with in) and may be located at some convenient distance from the meter, requiring onlyto he kept on the same level `as the meter, or a known vvariation from it. The inaccuracy of its measure can be reduced practically to nothing when speoic gravity and temperature are given, as is done by this meter. By having, say,

thirty hydronieter chambers to each meter, and the oistern as large as the possible capacity' for the still to fill in one day, the record of each cistern full is kept for a month at least. The distiller can be required to report the state ot' his meter and pay his tax every week. The internal revenue collector `'For cach districtcan then send his otticer to sce that it isgiven correctly, and the Department can employ and follow these with as many detectives as necessary, at irregular and occasional intervals, so as to make fraud too dangerous and hariardous to practise to any serious extent. i'

I do not. claim the escapernent-movement, or the cogswheels, or carn-whccls` as being either novel or new, or, simply as an escapelnent, 0r cog-wheel, or cam-wheel, as being my invention, hut. what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isi l The application of the escapement-moveincnt, consisting of the lever L, acting upon the ratchet-wheel S, or its equivalent, for the purpose ot" regulating, controlling, and calling into action the motive power and machinery used for turning and working the stop-cocks and 'alvcs, constr cted lsubstan tially in the manner herein described and sot forth. i

2. The bifurcation or division into two arms, M and N, of one end ot' the eseapcnicnt-lever L, constructed substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein sot forth. i

S. The hole or perforation O, in the lover arm of the escapeinent-le\er L, for the purpose of allowing the rod Q of the float or iloat pan R to pass through it.

4. The application ol' the float or float pan R, constructed substantially in thc manner herein set forth, and used for the purpose of regulating, moving, and controlling, or aiding in regulating, moving, and con` trolling t-'ue escapement-lever L, and attached machinery.

5. rlhe series ot' glass tubes or hydrometer chambers H, constructed substantially in the manner and tor the purpose herein set forth. l y

6. The graduation of the hydrorneterchaniber tubes H, and their connection witn the receiving cistern so as to indicate the depth or amount of liquid in the cistern.

7. The application of a stop-cock, o, or its equivalent, with each liydrozneter chamber, so arranged, moved, turned, and worked, by appropriate machinery, as to keep secure and retain for a. variable period ot` time a sneeinien ot' 'the liquid or spirits that are or may have been in the eistorn.

S. The application of caui-wheelsYand Z, for the purpose 0l thusl turning, working, and regulating the hydronieter-chambers stop-oocksor valves'c, constructed and acting substantially in the manner herein escribed and set forth.

Q. The combination and connection of this series of h'ydronietet` chambers H, with the three-way cock C, oran equivalent valvular arrangement, for regulating the ingress and' egress ol the spirits to and from the meter, constructed substantially in the manner and vt'or the purpose herein set forth.

10. The application of the interrupted cog-wheel c CZ, for the purpose of turning, regulating, and reversing the three-way7 valves, as herein described and set forth.

11. The arrangement of two or more spirit-meters, with a. correspomling number o` oistcrns, each and all leading to the main pipe A., coming from the. seine still, with a plain ordinary stop-cock, r and s, at a suitable :md convenient Iplace in each pipe thus leading to the main pipe A, coming from the still, :is herein descrbe and set forth. Y

12. The combination and connection with each other of' the ferions parts of the machine herein described and claimed, constructed substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

l J. G. ALLEN.

Witnesses A. D. WOODRUFF. RICHARD J. ALLEN. 

